


A Prologue

by Ladadee195



Series: Hypothetical 4th Series [1]
Category: The Mighty Boosh (TV)
Genre: 4th series, Gen, Mystery, Prologue, but definitely my attempt at a great idea, not my idea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-10-11 09:51:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20544188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ladadee195/pseuds/Ladadee195
Summary: A fresh start is meant to be a good thing but Howard is sure its not suppose to be this stressful.





	A Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hullo all and welcome to the start of what will be a 6 episode series that is being called the Hypothetical 4th Series. Thought up by the always amazing RedChucks over on Tumblr. They're ideas and drawings have inspired this and I want to thank them for the abundance of great ideas! I hope I can do it justice. 
> 
> What follows is the prologue and start of many new great adventures for our boys and their new home. Enjoy.

It’s night, and it’s cold. 

The dark road ahead of them glistens, still wet from the sporadic rainstorms. Every so often headlights from the oncoming lane would cross their path illuminating the interior of the van. The radio was silent for once, the only sound came from the hum of the engine and soft snores of their companions in the back. 

The atmosphere is tense and melancholy. They haven’t said a word to each other since their hasty departure an hour earlier. It had left them both feeling lost and wary. The adrenaline wore off 30 minutes ago, but Howard still felt shaky and slightly sick, but he didn’t let that affect his driving.

The last couple of minutes were all a blur, he couldn’t quite believe any of it had even happened. One moment everything was normal, or as normal as things got, and the next they were leaving. Piling into the van and driving south to the coast, towards Brighton he recalls being told. He had been too panicked and scared to question anything. All he knew was that they were in trouble. Maybe not for something they did directly, but for just being there and being involved. It wasn’t fair. They had lives, hobbies, some semblance of social lives. Well he didn’t but you get the picture. It wasn’t fair that they had to uproot their lives just because of some shady shaman business deals that went screwy. 

He looks over at Vince in the dim light. He’s slumped so low in his seat that his denim clad legs are curled up in front of him, pressed against the dashboard. The heels of his boots dig into the cushion below him. He’s got on a long purple jumper decorated with silver stars. His arms are crossed over his middle in a comforting gesture that worries Howard. The position doesn’t look comfortable, but Vince hasn’t moved since they hit the highway. His face is tilted up and he seems to be watching the night sky. He looks tired and his hair is a little more of a mess then Vince usually allows but he’s more focused than Howard has ever seen him. 

He isn’t sure what Vince is looking at. It’s too cloudy for stars and the moon -the blithering idiot- isn’t even out tonight. Vince looks for all the world as if he’s deep in thought. Howard knew however that Vince didn’t do deep thinking. So what was he doing? 

He looks back at the road for another long moment. Thinking about what he might say to Vince now after so long in silence. 

He goes to open his mouth but Vince beats him to it. 

"O'ward?" 

His voice sounds small and tired. It makes his south London twang more pronounced. Clearing his throat Howard glances at him once again.    
  
“Yeah Little man?” He sees Vince smile at the nickname. Even that small thing brings some sort of warmth to the coldness of the van. 

It would have to do, the heating has never worked. 

It takes Vince a moment to answer. Howard waits, knowing that whatever Vince wants to ask will be serious. After so long Howard had a 6th sense about these things. “How long do you think we’ll be away?” Vince finally asks, still in that small uncertain voice. 

Howard glances back at him. He has his nail, with its chipped bright orange nail varnish, caught between his teeth. A sure sign that younger man is nervous. 

It takes Howard another long moment to think about the question. Another rainstorm catches up with them and the squeak of the windshield wipers seems loud in the silence. “I don’t know Vince. Could be a week, could be a month…” he answers truthfully. He honestly doesn’t know. 

“A month!?” Vince says loudly, giving Howard an incredulous look as he pushes himself into a normal sitting position.“I can’t be gone a month! I’ve got parties to attend! Trends to invent! A month!?” 

Howard merely sighs and checks the rear-view-mirror to make sure that the shaman and his familiar are still sound asleep. 

“Are you seriously going to try and blame me for this?” he asks barely keeping the anger out of his voice. He’s tired and too old for this. “Because you know it's not sir! Not my fault, and in-fact if I hadn’t acted and dragged you out of the flat you’d probably be dead by now, some thanks would be appreciated.” He says with a nod. He grips the wheel tightly, trying to reel in the burn of frustration. 

“Wot do you mean dead?” Vince asks, scooting closer. 

It doesn’t make Howard feel any better to know that Vince is just as clueless as him about tonight's events. 

“I don’t know, Naboo was pretty serious about getting away from the flat and shop. Something about a shady deal gone wrong and people coming after us,” He hadn’t understood anything Naboo had told him at the time. Only that they were in danger and had to leave, run away, skip town, the whole shebang. “So I did what any man of action would do, saved you three and ran away” He says with another nod. Resolute in his decision. 

They only had time to grab the necessary items, but not everything. Howard knows that Vince is missing a least a quarter of his wardrobe, and most of his shoes. He wasn’t the only one without important personal items though. True Howard had grabbed his trumpet, his best records, a small bag of clothing, and his favorite hat but he had to regretfully leave the record player. What was the point of bringing his records if he couldn’t play them. It was all so unfair. 

Vince thankfully doesn’t respond, understanding the seriousness of the situation for once. He’d been there, they’d argued, Vince had yelled about being dragged away from home. The fear of the unknown had pushed Howard into running and here they were. Naboo’s hasty explanations rings in his head.

_ We’ve gotta get out of here or they’ll kill us all. Drive to Brighton Howard _

So, he’d run, he was good at running. The strange thing was; it didn’t feel like it usually felt to run for their lives. This felt real somehow and he couldn’t explain the true gut wrenching fear. The worst part was that he didn’t even know WHAT to be afraid of. Only that he was. 

Vince is too, though he doesn’t voice it, doesn’t show it like Howard does. With shaking limbs and darting eyes. No he shows it through small unsure movements and nervous looks towards Howard. As if looking for reassurance. Something that Howard can’t give him at the moment. That tears at him, he always managed to do so in the past but at the moment he’s just as unsure as the younger man. 

“Where are we going anyway?” Vince asks instead. 

“Brighton I think, that’s what Naboo said.” 

Vince only nods and returns to staring out the window at the dark void beyond. Howard wonders why he hasn’t fallen asleep yet. He always does at the worst times. He supposes that Vince is just too shaken up. 

“You should sleep little man,” he says trying and failing to relax enough to stop gripping the wheel so hard. “I’ll wake you when we get there.” 

If they got there.

Again Vince doesn’t respond but he does shuffle down the seat until he’s curled up as he had been before. When Howard glances towards him again he finds Vince has finally succumb to sleep. 

Now alone for the first time since the whole mess started, Howard tries to imagine what might happen when they reached their destination. What will they find? why Brighton? Would they ever get to return to London and their flat? Their home? It was all so unsure, so vague, and he didn’t like it. But if this is what it took to keep his friends safe he would do it. He was a man of action after all. 

**Author's Note:**

> ~*~Come with us now on and journey through time and space~*~  
*cue the title sequence*


End file.
